The US Department of Commerce (DOC) reduced anti-dumping duties on Vietnamese tra and basa (pangasius) fish under its preliminary conclusion of the 14th period of review (POR14) for the period from August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017.

Tra fish farming in Hau Giang province

Accordingly, the preliminary anti-dumping taxes on products of two mandatory respondents are US$0 per kilogramme, and US$1.37 per kilogramme. The tariff for voluntary respondents is US$0.41 per kilogramme, while the tax imposed on other Vietnamese exporters not examined as mandatory or voluntary respondents will be US$2.39 per kilogramme, lower than the final results of POR13.

Although the DOC is scheduled to announce the final results of POR14 in January 2019, its move to lower the anti-dumping tariffs is seen as a positive signal for Vietnamese catfish exporters.

Earlier, in its final results of the 13th period of review (POR13), Go Dang Seafood Joint Stock Company (GODACO) - the only mandatory respondent - was taxed US$3.87 per kilogramme, and other firms were levied at the same rate. This was the highest-ever level, which rose six times as compared to the results of POR12.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), necessary legal proceedings were carried out to ask the DOC to meticulously review data provided by the Vietnamese firms and give a more rational anti-dumping taxes.

The high, irrational taxes in POR13 left little room for Vietnamese catfish to enter the US market, VASEP said.

Besides high anti-dumping duties, catfish exports have been impacted by the US inspection programme from August.

VASEP said that tra fish exports to the US market hit US$196.8 million in the first six months of the year, accounting for 19.6% of total tra fish shipments, and up 11.6% from the same period in 2017. A decline in the world supply was attributed to the increase of export revenue as it made the prices of tra fish increase during January-June.